Maia to make the most of last stay

Ruan Maia probably draws odd looks whenever he says he is going back to Singapore for another stint.

It is akin to hearing someone is leaving a company that went bust, but is joining another one that is also about to put up the shutters.

The Brazilian jockey was just forced out of Macau after its last race was run at Taipa Racecourse on March 30.

Jockeys are collateral damage, but expat riders are slightly better off than trainers and owners.

They just have to pack their saddles elsewhere, but to pick a jurisdiction which was following the same way of the dodo on Oct 5 might seem a touch irrational.

Maia, who rode with success at Kranji, especially in 2020 when he finished runner-up to Vlad Duric, knew all along such a shortlived option might not be the best.

But, it was the first country that sprang to mind when the rug was pulled from under him in Macau.

“When I found out Macau racing was ending on April 1, I had to look for a new place. There wasn’t much time left,” said the 35-year-old.

“I thought of Singapore first as I’ve always liked this country, the lifestyle, the people and its racing.

“I know it’s closing down, too, like Macau. It’s so hard I have to go through this again, everybody was crying at the last meeting, like trainers Tony Fung and Joe Lau.

“I was sad, too, even though I rode three winners. Macau was where I spent 3½ years and was champion there three times, including the last one.

“But I had to move on. That was my last chance to ride in Singapore.”

Two fellow Taipa riders, unknown at Kranji, are following suit, Luis Corrales and Charles Perkins. They also make their Kranji riding debut on April 13.

Some may still argue Maia has come back with his tail between the legs. He did spurn his chance in 2023, why the change of heart?

Basically, his answer was circumstances change, especially when thrown two curveballs only six months apart.

“I was supposed to come and ride in Singapore last year around July. But sadly, the news came through in June that Singapore racing was closing down,” he explained.

“I decided not to come over. I had to look for a longer-term option, and Macau was the next best.

“It’s after all the place that put me on the map and gave me an opportunity to come to Singapore.

“But, it’s also closed down. I couldn’t believe my bad luck.”

The double whammy has taken him full circle, albeit Singapore is a band-aid solution to the now-father of 16-month-old Isabella.

The 700-odd race winner’s good standing, especially in Asia, probably helped him get thrown a lifeline – two, as a matter of fact.

“I’ve also applied for Korea. I was lucky they gave me a licence, too,” said Maia who will also ride at Kuala Lumpur on April 14.

“But I still need to get a visa. In the meantime, I’ll ride in Singapore until the end.

“If the visa in Korea comes through, I’ll try and talk to them (to set the start date after Oct 5).”

Casting the net wide has paid off for Maia, though one can feel he wished he had never left Kranji.

“I don’t know anybody in Korea, I’ll have to start all over again,” said the 71-race winner at Kranji.

“I’ve always had good connections at Kranji. Like Macau, Singapore was also my second home.

“My best memories are the 2018 Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy with Circuit Land at only one ride, my two Group 1 wins with Aramaayo (Kranji Mile and Raffles Cup in 2020) and of course, my seven winners (Aug 23, 2020).

“But, Covid-19 made it worse in 2021, trainers left and went back to Australia. At the same time, I got the offer to ride in Hong Kong.”

Maia could not turn down the chance of a lifetime to ride in the Asian racing hub, but the honeymoon period did not last long.

“The first season in Hong Kong was very good, but owners and trainers stopped giving me rides the next year,” he said.

“A few trainers like Donna Logan and Shane Baertschiger asked me to come back to Singapore. They said they’d support me.

“That’s when I called it quits, and was all set for a return to Singapore. It wasn’t meant to be, but this time, it’s for real.

“I texted a few trainers before I got here. David Kok, James Peters and Mahadi Taib are some who said they would support me.”

They are among those who booked Maia on eight rides at his first day back on April 13, with Kok supplying half of them, including Pacific Emperor in the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A (1,100m).

manyan@sph.com.sg